Ninajirachi Wins Big At the 2026 AIR Awards

The 20th AIR Awards were another smashing success, with the night a wonderful celebration of Australia's diverse musical landscape.

Held in Adelaide, Australia’s first and only UNESCO-designated City of Music, Dylan Lewis and Jessica Braithwaite hosted the night, which featured performances from The Tullamarines, Cooking on 3 Burners, Georgia Knight and Elsy Wameyo.

When it comes to the winners, Ninajirachi cleaned up, taking home a whopping five awards. The electronic producer won Independent Album of the Year, Independent Producer of the Year and Best Independent Electronic Album or EP for I Love My Computer; and Best Independent Electronic Single and Independent Song of the Year for 'iPod Touch'. Ninajirachi also received $30,000 in marketing and global pitching support to assist with her next release via Amazon Music.

Niniajirachi's debut album, I Love My Computer, continued to dominate throughout the night, with Independent Mix, Studio or Mastering Engineer of the Year going to Thomas Purcell PKA Wave Racer, Independent Publicity Team of the Year being taken out by Twnty Three and the award for Independent Marketing Team of the Year.

The night also saw Folk Bitch Trio collect three gongs for Best Independent Blues and Roots Album or EP,  Breakthrough Artist of the Year - Presented by PPCA and Independent Music Video of the Year, with the group also collecting $5.000 cash from YouTube to help fund their next Music Video release.

Other winners on the night included Playlunch winning Best Independent Rock Album or EP for Sex Ed, WILSN taking home Best Independent Soul/R&B Album or EP for Bloom and These New South Whales being awarded Best Independent Punk Album or EP for GODSPEED.

The 2026 Outstanding Achievement Award sponsored by Merlin went to Sebastian Chase, who was nominated by AIR members in recognition of his significant contribution to the industry over the last 30+ years. Thanks to global independent rights agency Merlin, Sebastian will receive a $5,000 cash prize to be used for professional development.

The highly coveted award for Best Independent Label recognised the efforts of NLV Records, who will receive a digital marketing campaign valued at $3,000, thanks to supporting partner Moshtix.

READ MORE: CMC Rocks QLD ​Celebrates 20 Years in 2027

Speaking about the awards ceremony, South Australian Deputy Premier and Minister for Arts, Kyam Maher said, "The South Australian Government is proud to support the AIR Awards through the Music Development Office and to welcome artists, industry leaders and music professionals to Adelaide for this celebration of Australia’s independent music sector.

"For 20 years, the AIR Awards have recognised the outstanding achievements of independent artists, labels and industry professionals, highlighting the strength, creativity and success of the sector. Congratulations to all nominees and award recipients announced tonight, and to AIR for delivering another successful event that showcases the depth of talent across Australia’s independent music community.

"The South Australian Government is also pleased to confirm its continued support for AIR, and has committed to fund Indie-Con Australia and the AIR Awards for a further two years. This ongoing investment will ensure even more opportunities for South Australian musicians, strengthen industry pathways, and reinforce Adelaide’s status as Australia’s UNESCO City of Music.’

AIR CEO, Maria Amato commented, "Congratulations to all the nominees and award recipients announced tonight at our 20th AIR Awards! We thank all our sponsors and are especially grateful to the South Australian Government, through the Music Development Office, for their continued support. This partnership enables us to keep holding our national events in Adelaide—Australia’s only UNESCO-designated City of Music." 

Check out the full list of winners below. For more details about the AIR Awards, visit air.org.au.